And I know that feeling.
All of us do.
Oh, we could compare stories and we could try to point out who's situation is "worse", whose story clearly a deeper "bottom".
But all that would be missing the point.
We have felt awful, hopeless, the end of the world was crashing down upon us.
Yet despite all that awful hopelessness at the end of the world - many of us have built happy, free, rewarding, respected, honorable, giving, compassionate, positive lives.
We left behind shame and ugliness and broken trust.
We left behind anger and bitterness and self-loathing.
We healed wounds and righted wrongs and came to see ourselves as the beautiful humans, the beautiful souls we are.
We moved on, we created another world - for ourselves and for those we love.
It began with a choice, with change and with faith.
A choice that we would live our lives differently and that we would put down alcohol and drugs and pick up absolutely everything and anything necessary to be all that we were meant to be. A choice to be happy, joyous and free. A choice to be of service and of use in the world. Change - in support of those choices - every day. And faith, that despite the challenges, if we would stick to those choices and make those changes, we would shine.
There are many paths and many combinations of choices and changes. There are many faces of faith.
But it really comes down to being that simple.
With choice, change and faith - it is not hopeless. It is not the end of the world. The awfulness will never haunt you again.
